The present invention relates to improving fuel efficiency, and more particularly relates to improving the efficiency and operating ability of conventional fuel line inserts known to use permanent magnets to impose magnetic energy upon fuel molecules flowing through the insert en route to a combustion chamber prior to combustion therein.
Many and various apparatus, devices, and the like are known which claim to increase the efficiency of fuel consumption (combustion) by processing and/or conditioning a fuel mixture prior to the mixture's combustion. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,382 discloses a device for improving fuel efficiency which includes at least one magnet for magnetically "charging" fuel fluids fed through a fluid passageway into a combustion chamber of an apparatus with which the device is used. The '382 device includes a housing containing the at least one permanent magnet positioned adjacent the fluid passageway, where the north pole of the magnet preferably faces the fluid passageway. The '382 patent asserts that the magnetic field created by the at least one permanent magnet is responsible for an improved fuel efficiency, an improved power production a reduction of carbon build-up on engine parts, and a reduction of pollutants normally found in combustion exhaust gases. The fluid passageway is preferably made of non-magnetic material. The magnetic cores are preferable made of nickel, ceramic, high carbon steel, etc.
Examples of other devices which utilize magnetism to improve the fuel-combustion efficiency of combustion engines are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,754, 4,461,262, 4,572,145, 4,188,296, 5,129,382, and Chinese Patent No. 94231684.3 to Hou et al., issued Dec. 20, 1996. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,262 discloses a fuel treatment device comprising a fuel line and a pair of magnets positioned at an inlet for incoming fuel. Each of the magnets is positioned with its south magnetic pole arranged to face upstream of the fuel line and its north magnetic pole placed closest to a mixing zone. Fuel passes initially through the flux generated by the south pole, and then the flux of the opposed north pole, allegedly improving combustion efficiency.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,145 discloses a magnetic fuel treatment device comprising a magnet embedded in a unshaped body of non-magnetic material adapted to fit over a fuel line. The magnet is positioned so that its north pole is spaced apart from the fuel line and its south pole is adjacent the fuel line. It is the flux imposed by the magnet's south pole which affects the fuel as alleged in the patent document. The magnet is embedded in a unshaped body of a non-magnetic material adapted to fit over the fuel line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,296 discloses a magnetizing apparatus used to apply a magnetic field to fuel to impart a magnetic flux density of at least 10 gauss to the fuel. A plurality of magnets are disposed within a casing and oriented such that magnetic forces are produced and directed to the fuel to be processed. The processing occurs as the fuel flows past the casing, and preferably, is also arranged to impart the device's diametrically opposed field to any steam or air to be mixed with the fuel at combustion
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,382 discloses a device for use with a fuel combustion apparatus for improving the efficiency of fuel combustion and to reduce polluting emissions. At least one magnet is constructed into a fuel fluid passageway, with its north pole proximate and/or facing the fuel passageway in order that the magnetizing force imposed by the north pole of the magnet negatively charges the fuel for combustion. The fluid passageway and magnet are housed in a casing with a casing cover, and preferably including at least two magnets arranged in the chamber in diametric opposition. The '382 patent calls out a housing comprised of any material, such as plastic or metal, but preferably non-magnetic, and calls for magnets comprising cobalt, nickel, aluminum, copper or iron, or any material with a high retentivity and coercivity such as Alnico material, ceramic, high carbon steel, or other steel alloys or some combination thereof. Fuel molecules tend to move more quickly and more readily disperse within the combustion chamber. The magnetic pairs are preferably formed of materials possessing high retentivity and coercivity.
Chinese Patent No. 94231684.3 to Hou et al (the Hou et al. patent) discloses a fuel efficiency improving device which utilizes the magnetic field generated by pairs of diametrically opposed permanent magnets which comprise the device (the "Hou patented device"), incorporated by reference herein. The Hou Chinese Patent describes the Hou patented device as a magnetic energy-saving purifier element and asserts in the writing that the use of same device will markedly increase the combusting efficiency of gas- and/or oil-burning (powered) machinery, such as trucks, automobiles, etc., that is, internal combustion engines up to twenty percent (20%). The Hou et al. Chinese patent disclosure asserts that fuel processing by the device is the result of a stationary magnetic field imposed at a particular portion of the purifier element (improved fuel-saver device) where all fuel must pass to enter the combusting chamber, which affects the moving fluid/gas at the molecular level (microscopically). In particular, the Hou Chinese patent asserts that the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet(s) by their physical positioning in the Hou device construct affects the magnetic spin of various parts or sub-parts of the fuel molecules passing through the magnetic field.
One known result or affect of the diametrically opposed fields directed by the physical arrangement of the permanent magnetic pairs constructed into the Hou patented device is their effect on the downsizing of large hydrocarbon molecules present in the liquid fuel mixture to smaller molecules. The size of molecules comprising the fuel mixture affects or limits any geometry in which such molecules can possibly arrange themselves as a fluid mass. Of course, the molecular arrangment directly affects the velocity of the fuel, atomization of the fluid mass at the combustion chamber, fuel molecule ignition and fuel molecule combustion.
The Hou et al. purifier element comprises a cylindrical purifier housing or casing, with fuel input and output ports located at opposite ends of the housing, respectively. The cylindrical housing provides an internal cavity or channel extending between the input and output ports, which acts as a fluid communication path between the input and output ports. The dimensions of the channel are defined by various geometric configurations and arrangment of the magnets which may be fixedly attached to internal channel surfaces. The variable length and diameter of the channel, as well as the flow per unit volume through the channel, effects the time and therefore the strength of the field its influence on the molecular arrangment of the passing fuel molecules. For example, while the Hou et al. outer casing shape is cylindrical, the channel may include four, six, eight, etc., flat planar inner surfaces at 90 degrees, 60 degrees, 45 degrees, etc., respectively, relative each surface's neighboring surfaces.
Embedded in each flat, planar surface is a permanent magnet arranged so that the permanent magnet's north pole extends into the volume of the chamber itself (it is attached at its south pole to the inner surface of the chamber or channel). The magnets are arranged in pairs such that the north pole of each magnet is located directly opposite a north pole of a second magnet. This essentially establishes diametrically opposed forces between each magnetic pair. For that matter, the dimensions further qualify the physical dimensions (e.g., inner volume/unit length) of the fuel flow chamber. Hence, any fuel (any fluid for that matter) passing through the channel to a combustion chamber (or some other type chamber) is subjected to the aggregate magnetic forces generated by the interaction of the north poles of each individual magnet and its effect relative to the fuel flow. Hence, the strength of the force imposed on the passing fuel, which increases with the number of magnetic pairs and the length of time the fuel is under the influence of the aggregate magnetic forces determines the effectiveness of the fuel processing en masse.
Combustion efficiency of hydrocarbon fuels is quantified by comparing amounts of non-combusted hydrocarbons within combustion emissions retained for testing. And the Hou et al. patent asserts that subjecting a fuel flow to the magnetic processing it discloses, within the physical dimensions of the device, realizes a reduction of methane found in the fuel combustion emissions by up to ninety percent (90%) compared with amounts of methane found in emissions tested under similar combusting conditions without magnetic processing. Hou et al. also claims that non-methane hydrocarbons typically found in emissions are also reduced by its magnetic processing by about sixty (60) to ninety percent (90%).
Besides data collected during testing in automobile combustion engines, Hou et al. also provides results of its testing of emission gases generated by gas stoves in which the Hou element was installed. With gas stoves, inserting a Hou et al. patented device in the fuel flow line before the gas burner of a gas stove shows methane emissions reduced by eighty (80) to ninety percent (90%) in the combusted emissions. That is, the Hou et al. purifier element's construction, and, therefore, the arrangement of the magnetic field it generates affects the fuel molecules by rendering same more readily flowable (less viscous), more readily atomized and combusted more readily at the place of combustion. Stated another way, the Hou et al. fuel processing insert renders more available complementary atoms or ions which must interact to burn during the combustion process.
The Hou et al. patent calls out the preferred composition of the casing (housing) and/or magnetic core (magnets) to be highly conductive metals, and most preferably, low carbon steel. In the alternative, such materials from which the casing and/or magnets are made should be heat and/or pressure-resistant, whether metal or non-metal. Where the material comprising the casing and/or magnets is constructed of magnetically responsive material, the field effect is intensified. Because of the correlation between field strength and effectiveness of the device operation, magnetically responsive casing and/or magnetic core materials which may enhance fuel combustion efficiency. And while the Hou et al. patented technology is believed to effectively increase fuel burning efficiency, a natural consequence of same is an increase in combustion energy derived per unit volume of fuel combusted.
Nevertheless, in view of the fact that the hydrocarbon energy store in our planet is finite, further improvements in the technology would be welcomed by fuel consumers and environmentalists alike. That is, a ten or twenty percent increase in the efficiency of a fuel efficiency improvement device renders such device that much more valuable and effective.